Eyesight problems

[ThePuttKing65]

I've been working on my game for the last few years and got nowhere. I've been filming my swing but whatever I do, I can't correct the faults I have.

I am convinced my eyesight is the problem. I have a good eye which is the left one and a poor eye. When I cover the left one and look only out of the right I can't see a thing. It's just a blur. When I had a eye test about 10 years ago the guy said my right eye didn't focus properly or something. I need glasses for reading but I can see well enough without them. I think I only look out of my left eye. I've done a few tests, like covering my right eye and my vision stays the same !

I think this causes me problems in my golf game especially my set up. When I set up my eyes are telling me I'm square but really I'm miles to the right. People I play with say I aim right. Hence my driving is either a wild hook or a push. Every club in the bag is effected it seems. My gap wedges go right of the flag and my putting is shocking. Sometimes I time it well and do a good shot but it is very frustrating. I could spend five minutes setting up but it wouldn't do any good.

Has anybody got any advice ?

Thanks !

[rotator]

Re: Eyesight problems

Hi PuttKing.

Regarding aligning too much to the right, that is a common problem for even good sighted people. Pros have to work constantly on that problem. I believe that one of the factors is your right hand is below the left on the grip, thereby making your left shoulder higher. When you look at the target line past the closed left shoulder with your eyes tilted, there is an optical illusion, and there is a tendency to aim right.

One way you can get around this, is to pick an intermediate point a couple or so feet in front of the ball, which is the point that you want the ball to go over to end up where you want it. You will take into account any fades or draws you may have in your shot. When you walk into the ball, you then align the face of your clubhead perpendicular to the line to the intermediate point, and then take your stance, with feet hips and shoulders parallel left to the line.

You forget about the target line as far as direction is concerned, you just swing to hit the ball over the intermediate point. This can be applied to putts as well, taking into account the break.

Ted

[ThePuttKing65]

Re: Eyesight problems

Thanks for the reply Ted.

I'm not sure my eye sight has anything to do with it now.

I've always had a really strong left hand grip. I think this caused me to have closed shoulders. It also caused a few more problems.

I have tried to change my grip a hundred times over the years. I would take my strong grip and then weaken it, move both hands to the left. This only resulted in a massive slice, so I would always go back to the strong grip.

This week I have tried something different. I place my left hand in a neutral position on the club and then add the right hand. It feels comfortable and hey presto - better shots. Don't know why it took me so long to figure this out ?

Anyway hopefully this will be the end of my swing faults and I can concentrate on getting better scores !

[Jeff Mann]

Re: Eyesight problems

I recommend that you follow Rotator's advice.

One only needs one eye for aiming - when standing behind the ball. From that position, select your intermediate target about 6 feet ahead of the ball. Then, when you move to your stance line (parallel-left of the ball-target line) you only need one eye to check that the clubface is facing the intermediate target. Then the stance/shoulders should be positioned perpendicular to the clubface - which automatically means that it must be parallel to the ball-target line.

See the "aiming section" of my review paper.

http://perfectgolfswingreview.net/AddressSetup.htm

Jeff.

[rotator]

Re: Eyesight problems

Hi PuttKing,

In your original post you brought up the issue of your sight possibly being the problem. You also mentioned that your playing partners tell you that you are aimed to the right. Why would they say this, if that was not the case. The majority of golfers have this problem of misalignment of the body, and most of them do not realize it and will insist that they are not misaligned. As I said this is not necessarily your sight causing misalignment, it happens with golfers with no sight problems. I'm quite good now, but I had the problem for a long time and I would swear then that I was lined up square.

You can only prove to yourself it is not a misalignment problem by trying the intermediate spot method for the line, and see how you feel when you actually set up over the ball. If the intermediate spot is the correct line, and you feel it looks out of kilter to you, when you actually set up over the ball, then you will know.

Good luck,

Ted

[ThePuttKing65]

Re: Eyesight problems

I played today and My Dad said on numerous occasions that I was 'aiming at the flag / middle of the fairway' - He also mentioned that I was aiming for the hole when I was putting. So I think my eye sight was a red herring.

With my new grip, I'm hitting the ball really well with a bit of a draw for the irons. However I have an 'draw' driver and I am struggeling to keep the ball on the golf course !

Should I look at getting a neutral driver instead ?

[jamesh]

Re: Eyesight problems

I posted a similar problem here perhaps a few years ago. I'm a lefty, and in my right eye in particular, I have very poor vision.

When I lined up the ball, my position was very closed, and the ball would go way left. In addition, I kept the ball back in my stance. I realized that my position was closed, and the ball was back in my stance, but this was the only way I felt comfortable enough to swing the club. I thought, this isn't a coincidence that I set up this way all the time; I'm compensating for something.

During last winter, I signed up for a series of eight golf lessons. It turns out that I had a very strong grip, with a closed clubface. As a consequence, I was aiming far left, to offset the golf clubs’ closed face. I spent a long time working on my grip, and my alignment became less of a problem, although it is something I still work on.

As for the ball staying back in my stance, it turns out that my weight stayed back there too during my golf swing. Once I made a deliberate effort to move my weight forward, I moved the ball more forward in my set up position.

What I found interesting is that even though I videotape my swings, I wasn't aware that my weight was staying back. At the end of my swing, all of my way would be forward and the golf club well behind me - however, there was a slight delay in this process, and the forward movement wasn't natural. In the absence of lessons, I wouldn't have picked this up in 100 years!



James

I've been working on my game for the last few years and got nowhere. I've been filming my swing but whatever I do, I can't correct the faults I have.

I am convinced my eyesight is the problem. I have a good eye which is the left one and a poor eye. When I cover the left one and look only out of the right I can't see a thing. It's just a blur. When I had a eye test about 10 years ago the guy said my right eye didn't focus properly or something. I need glasses for reading but I can see well enough without them. I think I only look out of my left eye. I've done a few tests, like covering my right eye and my vision stays the same !

I think this causes me problems in my golf game especially my set up. When I set up my eyes are telling me I'm square but really I'm miles to the right. People I play with say I aim right. Hence my driving is either a wild hook or a push. Every club in the bag is effected it seems. My gap wedges go right of the flag and my putting is shocking. Sometimes I time it well and do a good shot but it is very frustrating. I could spend five minutes setting up but it wouldn't do any good.

Has anybody got any advice ?

Thanks !

[ThePuttKing65]

Re: Eyesight problems

I think my eyesight problem was a red herring.

The proof is if I close my eyes and swing; i make the same mistakes.

I think my eyesight probably caused me to have a poor setup which is my problem.

I think I have sorted my swing out (see another post); and my problem was in my setup. It's hard to explain but the way I gripped the club, my left hand was in a cupped position. I think this caused me to open the clubface during the backswing. And also have a too early wrist break. It's like a chain of events all bad because of the setup and grip.

[BrianW]

Re: Eyesight problems

You can't have too early a wrist break if you break correctly.

[rotator]

Re: Eyesight problems

I agree with Brian. When the wrist break happens varies from player to player. Nicklaus set very late, and others have earlier breaks.

The key thing is that the shoulder turn and arm swing should finish at the same time. This is the heart of the key for a good swing, which is to keep your arms in front of your body throughout. The arms cannot continue to swing up and around, while the shoulders have stopped turning and vice versa, otherwise you will have a disconnection of the parts. The extra swinging of the arms will not give you any more power, and will likely compromise accuracy.

Take a look at all the good players' swings on you tube, particularly the slow motion swings. Their arms get up and around all right, but because they also can turn their shoulders 90 degrees or more, the arms are still in front of their bodies. Likewise, on the downswing, the arms do not outrace or lag behind the body.

I suspect this may be an AHA revelation for many members.

Ted

[ThePuttKing65]

Re: Eyesight problems

I've made some progress this week.

What I think my fault is that I move my head to the right way too much. When I swing back, my head moves with my hands. At the top of my backswing my head is opposite my right foot ! (In other words i sway too much !)

I've tried in the past to correct this without much luck. I don't know why I do it, maybe it is habit or maybe a nervous trigger to start the swing.

What I've been doing in the last 2 rounds is a little waggle before I swing. I do this waggle a few times and then I swing. I can feel the difference because when I'm at the top, I notice my head is in the same place over the ball and not way to the right. Don't know how long it will last but I've ordered a Medicus 5 iron to help.

Scored a 76 yesterday in a Medal and a 71 today which is my second best score this year.

The thing is when I start hitting the ball straight, I can score really well !